Lessons Learned from the 2010 Remodeling Show

Last week I attended the Remodeling 2010 Trade Show in Baltimore, MD. This show is touted as “the only national remodeler-centric event bringing together the entire remodeling industry face-to-face annually.” All segments of the residential remodeling industry were represented, from kitchen and bath suppliers to the folks who sell the tools and services required to execute any home remodeling project. There was also a contractor continuing education component. Classes for remodelers were held in the morning and ended around 11:00 am which is when the trade show opened. That was particularly impressive to me because we all have an interest in hiring well trained building professionals and it was clear to me that the industry has an equal interest in staying current on the latest trends.

WarmlyYours booth was located in the heart of the Kitchen and Bathroom Showcase which was perfect since the large majority of our electric floor heating systems are installed under tile in bathrooms. I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of attendance at the trade show. With the economy still sluggish, though recovering according to all the leading indicators, it was anybody’s guess what booth traffic would be like. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Traffic was light to moderate at most times during the show, with very few “tire kickers” coming through the booth. Almost everyone I spoke to was genuinely interested in what we had to offer.

I was able to spend a fair amount of time with each prospective lead. Most of the contractors I spoke with were cautiously optimistic about the future. The general consensus was that business was picking up – slowly – but they were experiencing an uptick nevertheless. What I learned is that many of the visitors to our booth already used WarmlyYours floor heating and were eager to find out about some of our recently launched products like our electric snow melting and indoor slab heating and our newest towel warmer, the Infinity, which debuted in November of 2009.

The contractors that are currently using other electric floor heating brands were especially open to hearing what WarmlyYours has to offer. Our ability to sell direct, to turn a quote around in 24 hours, and the availability of our 24/7 help line, were all compelling reasons to do business with us. Sure, they were interested in our wide range of electric radiant heating products, but I got the most positive feedback about our “service oriented” business model. It really drove home the fact that some things never change. These building professionals have to get what they need to do the job fast and to know they can get answers to technical questions when they need them. It’s just like most businesses really. “Time is money” and any delay to the project affects the project’s bottom line.

In other words, they just want to know we’ve got their back. And, we do.

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Your WarmlyYours experience matters to us. And, we would love to hear it straight up from you. Storytellers have shaped our societies since the beginning of time, and along with sharing knowledge and experience comes cultural and societal bonding. Not to mention, your story qualifies you for a chance to win $100!

Maybe you would like to tell us how you are enjoying your heated floor? How did the installation go? What are your neighbors saying about your cozy, warm family room? Has your cat found your under desk heater and commandeered it yet? You see where we are going with this…

YES, we would love to hear anything you can tell us about our products. And, if you have photos, videos, diagrams, illustrations, cartoons, cave man drawings, or even an artist’s rendering to help you tell your story…all the better!

Seriously, by sharing real life stories – your stories - other customers can benefit from your WarmlyYours experience and so can we. We know that any remodeling project or purchasing decision you make that centers around bringing warmth and comfort to your family is an important one, so please take a few minutes to share your story with us.

To share your story, fill in the form below or send your story with attachments to [email protected]. There will be one winner selected every month!